Mining machine



Dec. 30, 1 24. 1,521,053 L. E. SIMMONS MINING MACHINE Filed July 21,1922 Patented Dec. 30, 1924.

LEOIJ' E. SIMMONS, 01 CLAREMOIVT, HAMPSHIRE, ASSIGNOR T0 SULLIVAN MA-orrlnnnv cor iranr. aconroaa'rron or massacnusnmt'rs.

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To all whom 2'25 may concern:

Be it known that I, LEON E. SIMMoNs, a citizen of the United States,residing at Claremont, in the co'untyof Sullivan and State of NewHampshire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in MiningMachines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactspecification.

My invention relates to mining machines.

It has for its object to provide an improved means for retaining amining machine on a truck, and more particularly an improvedandsimplified means wherein a part of the mining machine mechanism isused as a part of the retaining means. A further object of my inventionis to pro vide improved retaining means for a'mining machine whereinthe'flexible feeding member of the mining machine may be utilized asapart of the retaining means and connected in such manner as to hold themachine in the desired position upon its truck and yet permit of readyand quick disconnection whenever desired.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown for purposes of illustrationone em bodiment which my invention may assume in practice. 7 r

In these drawings,"

Fig. 1 is a planview or a mining machine mounted upon its truckand'retained thereon in accordance with my improvement.

Fig. 2 isa side elevation of the machine shown in Fig. 1.

In this illustrative construction I have shown a truck 1 of a usual typeknown as a mule truck, i. e. a truck adapted to be drawn about a mine bymule power or to be pushed about and not provided with truck propellingmechanism, the same including a rigid frame carried upon suitable wheelsand having guiding means adapted to receiveand retain a mining machinemoved longitudinally of the truck; this machine being herein illustratedat '2 as a machine of the longwall type ordinarily used with such trucksand having at one end the usual flexible feeding mechanism including afeed operating member 3 and a flexible connection acted on thereby andherein in the form of a chain 4, while the opposite end of the machinecarries a pivoted cutter bar 5 carrying a usual cutter chain 6.

In my improved coi'istruction the flexible feeding member 4 is utilizedto hold the machine 2 in position upon the truck 1 and for this purposea suitable length of the flexible feeding member is carried from thefeed operating member 3 to the front end of'the machine; There it-isconnected to an abutment, herein-in the form of'a rearwardly openinghook 7 provided on the front end and at one side of the truckl and thenextended across or over the machine and herein in front of the machinebody and above the bar 5, preferably in such-manner that it snugly gripsa part of the machine, the opposite end of this transversely extendingportion being then connected. to a chain engaging abutment or hook 8,similar to the hook 7 and located on the opposite side of the truckframe. Attention is also directed to the fact that at the rear end ofthe truck 1 suitable stop means are provided to cooperate with theforward machine movement limiting means just described and limit therearward movement of the machine 2 on the truck frame 1,' these meansherein assummg the form of a transverse connectlo'n 9 between the usualupstanding longitudinal flanges on the truck, and being adapted to beengaged by'cooperating stop 'n1embers 10 carried on the rear end of themining machine 2. It will be noted that as usual the feed chain 4.during the loading of the machine onto the truck engages a suitablechain engaging abutment 11 carried on the rear end of the truck and thatthis abutment cooperates with the chain engaging abut-- ments 7 and Sinretaining the'machine on the truck.

As a result of my improved construction; it will be noted that it ispossible to retain the mining machine in the desired position relativeto the truck by exceedingly simple and inexpensive means throughutilizing the flexible feeding member of'the min ng machine as one ofthe retaining elements, and

that at the same time that the retaining means 1s simpl fied in suchmanner as substantially to reduce its cost, a retaining gmeans isprovided which is of great strength,

permits of considerable variation n position, and enables the operatorto connect and disconnect the machine quickly and conveniently.

While I have in this application specifically described one embodimentwhich my invention may assume in practice, it will be understood thatthis form of the same is shown for purposes of illustration and that theinvention may be modified and embodied in other formswithout departingfrom its spirit or the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a mining apparatus, a mining machine truck, a mining machinethereon including a flexible feeding member, abutment means on saidtruck adapted to cooperate with said member during machine movement, andsupplemental means for retaining said machine in position on said truckutilizing a length of said flexible feeding member as a retainingelement and including a plurality of abutment means engaged thereby.

2-. In a mining apparatus, a mining machine truck, a mining machinethereon including a flexible feeding member, abutment means on saidtruck adapted to cooperate with said member during machine movement,

and supplemental means for retaining said machine in position on saidtruck utilizing a length of said flexible feeding member as a retainingelement and including abutment means engaged thereby and disposed onopposite sides of said truck.

3. In a mining apparatus, a mining machine truck, a mining machinethereon including a flexible feed chain, abutment means on said truckadapted to cooperate with said chain during machine movement, andsupplemental means for retaining said machine in position on said truckutilizing a length of said flexible feed chain as a retaining elementand including chain engaging hooks engaged thereby and disposed onopposite sides of said truck.

4. In a mining apparatus, a mining machine truck having machine movementlimiting means at one end thereof, a mining machine thereon including aflexible feeding member, abutment means on said truck adapted tocooperate with said member during machine movement, and supplementalmeans for retainin said machine in position on said truck and againstsaid first mentioned limiting means utilizing a length of said flexiblefeeding member as a retaining element and including abutment meansengaged thereby and disposed on opposite sides of said truck.

5. In a, mining apparatus, a mining machine truck, a mining machinethereon including a longitudinally projecting cutter bar and a flexiblefeed member, and means for retaining said machine on said truckincluding means for connecting a length of said flexible feeding memberbetween points on the opposite sides of said truck and over the innerend of said bar.

6. In a mining apparatus, a mining machine truck, a mining machineslidable there on including a projecting cutter bar and a flexiblefeeding member, abutment means with which said flexible member engagesin the loading of the machine, and means engagable with the inner end ofsaid bar and cooperating with abutments disposed in the rear of saidpoint of engagement for retaining said machine in position on said truckutilizing said flexible feeding member as a retaining element.

7. In a mining apparatus, a mining machine truck, a mining machineslidable thereon including a flexible feeding member, a machine movementlimiting means with which said machine engages, and means disposedadjacent the forward end of said machine and utilizing said flexiblefeeding member as a retaining element for retaining the same in positionon said truck against said machine movement limiting means.

8. In a mining apparatus, a mining machine truck, a mining machineslidable thereon including a flexible feed chain, and means forretaining said machine in position on said truck utilizing said flexiblefeed chain as a retaining element and including rearwardly opening chainengaging hooks engaged thereby and disposed on opposite sides of saidtruck.

9. In a mining apparatus, a mining machine truck, a mining machineslid-able thereon including a frame and a flexible feeding member, andmeans for retaining said machine on said truck against movementlongitudinally in either direction utilizing said flexible feedingmember as a retaining element and including abutments engaged therebyand disposed adjacent the ends of said machine frame.

10. In a mining apparatus, a mining machine truck, a mining machineslidable thereon and including a flexible feed mem-- ber, and means forretaining said machine in position. on said truck utilizing saidflexible feed member as a transverse retaining ele ment and including aplurality of holding means disposed on different sides of said truck andsimultaneously operative to prevent release of said flexible member uponforward movement of said machine on said truck.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

LEON E. SIMMONS.

